Rockram

I am soooo happy with my 06 Megacab with the cold weather we've been having. My truck has been sitting for the last 2 weeks not plugged in and not inside. I went out on Saturday morning it was -2*F, -25* wind chill. Put the key in the switch turned it the pig tail went out and it fired right up. Went to high idle, I let it run for 30 min and then went to town. The truck ran flawlessly all day.

On my way into town I saw a Chev. Duramax on the side of the road gelled up it was his daily driver.

derek.mckay

Honestly, if he was gelled up...it wasn't his trucks fault, but how did you know gelling was his issue and that it was his daily driver? did you stop to help him out?...I'm not sure how much wind chill effects an engine that is pretty much protected from the wind, but DO know that diesel startes to gell at about -10...so maybe his gelled and yours didn't because you were more protected from the wind chill...or maybe he lives in a colder area of town than you do. (I know that I have woke up and it be 28* at my house and 38-40* on base not more than 15 miles away)...I've always just plugged up the trucks when I see the weather man tell me it's going to be anywhere close to below zero just to be on the safe side...but good on you and your truck starting right up and going without problems...they are awesome machines.

Derek

dhughe2

be careful letting your 3rd gen idle so much. I have a buddy who had an 05 and his dad had a 1st gen. He grew up watching his dad letting the truck idle forever and when he got his 05 he thought thats how it should be treated. He had a lot of problems with injectors-the dealer said it was from excessive idling. That truck was really nice but he had the same injector problem 2 or 3 times. It may have just been a lemon.

derek.mckay

I have heard this a couple of times myself...but honestly, what is a guy to do? If it is really cold out, idling at 1000RPM for too long is bad...if you drive off and get above 2000RPM while the engine is too cold it's bad...I don't know how one or the other of these scenarios is avoidable in places where the temps get down below freezing...

Derek

Rockram

Yes, in fact I did stop. When it's well below freezing I stop for everyone on the side of the road no matter what they look like. I've been there wishing someone would stop as I forgot my cell phone or just needed a jump. As for the wind chill effecting diesel I'm told it doesn't effect it. However when I park my 2000 Western Star in it's parking spot it will gel. But if I park it below the house out of the wind it's less likely to. My conclusion is wind chill does matter.

My last diesel pickup was a Chev 6.5L I would run#1 fuel with additives and it would still gel on me.

Mark Hodowanec

The fuel gelling had nothing to do with my truck, and everything to do with fuel that was not adequatey treated (by me or the petro co.) for the temperatures it was subjected to. Be careful, or it will happen to your 06 Megacab. Over the last 12 years I have run a 6.5TD, a 7.3PSD, and the 5.9 Cummins. This is the first time I experianced any fuel gelling issues. I guess that my 'luck' finally ran out .

morkable

As for the idleing, there are ctd's here that idle pretty much the whole winter, and I dont see any of them with problems, as long as they are idled up a bit, at least a 1000, you wont have any problems. I know one guy that hasnt shut his truck off since november

Kevin

Toto

You can get the block heater for a couple hundred bucks.
If you go to Quebec in the winter you won't regret it....if you have a place to plug it in.
BTW I plug mine in even till late spring when it is fairly warm.
I have it on a timer.
I figure it costs me about 50 cents a night, but I probably save a buck in fuel due to faster warm up and easier on the motor too.
So even in Maryland you might find it worth your while.
Food for thought.

AkTallPaul

Here it is illegal to not stop for someone in the winter.
The only effect of wind chill has on engines/fuels is that it wiil cool down to ambient faster, but will not get colder than that. 30 years of driving trucks in Arctic conditions and have only gelled once(power service) and will never allow that again. I maintain my fuel tanks for water an use Howes for antigell.

mkivbren

My mega has been sitting for a few weeks under the carport. I don't plan to drive it any time soon but as for the batteries - would you guys pull them or just put a maintenance charger on them? I'm in Md but it's been COLD here lately.

AkTallPaul

Maintenance charger will be fine...charged batts won't freeze.

Mark Hodowanec

Either a maintenance charger or just fully charge them. Do not overcharge. Unless there is an electrical draw on them, they should hold full charge at least a month (if the batteries are any good to start with that is).

morkable

There allways seems to be a bit of a draw, I forgot my sirius radio on once, went to mexico for 2 weeks, got back, batteries were stone dead. I would recommend a maintenance trickle. A decent unit wont over charge your batteries

Kevin

slorocco

Installed the cold weather kit last night. It incorporates battery warmers that use the same power cord as the block heater. I'll see how it does.